The Nightmare and Her Friend
by N1kk1 Starlet
Summary: AU, kinda. In which Ash never leaves for Unova, and Team Rocket takes over. Now with greater reason to start a new journey, he seeks revenge with the help of Dawn, Brock, and a mysterious Absol that holds the truth to Giovanni's sudden insanity. Rated T for now, though it may change later.
1. Chapter 1

**If it's one thing I learned in my short life, and on my time here, is that you're never too old for a good show. Pokemon is something that I hold very dear to me; whenever I had a bad day at school, I could rely on the show to make me smile again. I was never allowed to get any of the games until last year, though, because my parents didn't want me spending money on 'kiddie toys' as they called it. they caved in when I threw a temper tantrum in the middle of the store. heheh. _Diamond and Pearl_ was the first version I got for the DS, so that's why that season is my absolute favorite. and... it's pretty obvious that I would think Dawn is perfect for Ash as well, not to start any shipping wars. ;) this story is a little AU, because Ash never decided to go to Unova once he got home. He decided on completing the league there one more time, and became a pokemon master! That's when Team Rocket took over, with a terrible ambition, and that's where this story begins. I hope you all give it a chance, leave me a review and let me know what you think. xD **

* * *

_The Nightmare and her Friend_

_Prologue: Battle against time and hearts _

* * *

Rain beat down against the Pokemon's fur, as she grunted when her paw made contact with the mud. She closed her eyes in an effort to cloud all previous thoughts, but that proved to be difficult; her heart hammering against her chest didn't make things any easier either.

She wasn't sure what made things worse: the lightning that flashed a little too close for comfort, or the memory that threatened to blind her vision. Both were in their own right, to be honest.

"_Absol, stay close to me." her mate growled, taking a protective stance. She gasped as she took a few steps back. _

"_L-luxary!" _

_Before either of them could speak, two people revealed themselves from the bushes, armed with weapons. The girl was very tall, her long red hair pulled back into think streaks. She wore a black jump suit, easily fitting her curves, and had an evil smirk across her face. The boy next to her looked a bit younger, with purple hair and he wore a black leather jacket. He had a nervous aura coming from him, but he didn't say anything to prove it so. _

"_Well, well, well, what do you think? These two would do nicely for The Boss." She cackled, bringing her weapon in position. _

"_And get him off our backs for a good week. The freaky bastard," He grumbled, nodding over as an affirmative. _

"_Luxary, whatever you're thinking right now, don't do it." She whimpered, hiding her face behind his back. _

_He glared at her. "They killed my Clan. I must have my revenge. Surely, you of all people should understand me!" _

_Absol just bit her lip and didn't say anything in return. The next few seconds happened too quickly for her—the woman had fired her monstrous weapon, almost cloaking Luxary in the next. He bit it off her with a Thunder Fang, but only for the male to be able to fire his. He fell to the floor with a resounding thud. The disaster Pokemon stared at the scene with absolute horror, unable to move her feet to his rescue. For somehow, her lover had passed out already. _

"_Now," The woman grinned and turned to her. "To catch you next." _

_Using the upcoming rainstorm to her advantage, she bolted off, not looking back where Luxray was slain. She had picked up so much speed that she was finally out of the clearing, and only then did she let a few tears fall from her eyes. _

She shook her head and looked onward, her scenery changing to a bustling city. People gasped as she ran by, nearly tripping over themselves in the process. A few Officers did try to stop her, but she didn't even spare them a single glance.

She had a destination to go to. Team Rocket's Headquarters.

Those vile idiots had gone too far—she had thought they were just buffoons when they first started out their business, but it was only until five years ago when things went from bad to worse. She didn't know what they were planning; all she had in mind was to stop it.

And save Luxary.

With a scary Pursuit, Absol was able to break through the security system. Grunts all around her had clouded her entrance, but all she saw was red as she bustled through. Everyone of them fell to the ground—they hadn't even taken out a pokemon of their own yet.

Finally, _finally _she made it to where the boss was, and glared down at the Persian sitting in his lap. Oh, how she loathed him.

Giovanni chuckled at her. "I should've known you would be the one to get past my security—you have many times before," he stood up, his pokemon hopping onto the floor. It began to circle her. "Do you want to know why I'm doing this, sweetheart? Why we're taking such a comeback so seriously?"

She only stared at him with piercing blue eyes.

He told her anyway. "I'm through with going on unnoticed. My ultimate goal is to create the most powerful weapon—and with it, everyone will be forced to obey me! It's why I have to steal the pokemon; only their power can sustain it. I don't know how long it'll be when my creation is complete, but I'll have the pleasure of defeating you in the meantime." He nodded over to his own. It was ironic, the whole thing. "End her."

"_Where's Luxary!"_ She seethed, dodging an attack he sent her, but she got no answer. Instead, the terrifying roar of her lover behind the walls was enough to know. She let out a choked whimper.

"No…"

The battle raged on. Absol and Persian were like two sides of the same coin. One warned the people if a natural disaster was about to occur, while the other simply brought death by just looking at the pour soul. Both were convincing themselves that they had to win, each for different reasons of their own benefit. They shared equal amounts of power however; something that neither of them would dare to admit.

Absol was thrown backwards, her body throbbing as she hit against the wall. "You must not be so nosy in our business as you are, Meddlesome. My master has gone through much more than his paws can handle." He purred, admiring how the blood flowed freely out of her scars. He snickered internally.

"Your 'master'…" She hissed, "Is a BRUTE!"

As soon as those words left her mouth, there was a bright flash of light, and a majestic being floated in front of them. The cat pokemon stepped backwards in shock.

"What are you doing here?! This battle is only between us! Get out of my way!"

Celebi, just now pretending to notice his presence, waved her stubby finger at him. "Na-uh! Absol here has a quest to finish and even you have the power to stop her, pussy-cat. See, she has to meet up with two trainers, one completely opposite of the other, and yet the same. They'll be able to solve everything."

"Ce…Celebi…" She whispered in surprise, eyes shimmering with tears. The time wonderer had been close friends with her ever since they were pups, for she was the only one who could understand isolation. She hadn't seen her in such a long time though, and she was glad under the circumstances, that Celebi was able to assist.

She smiled at her old friend. "Thought I would leave ya hanging, huh?" She giggled, giving her a shy wink. Absol rolled her eyes; Celebi always knew something she didn't. "Never."

There was a brief flash of light before her eyes, and suddenly, so quickly, they were all gone. She then became lost in her own sea of unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

**GAH, THE EMOTIONAL FEELS. MAKE IT STAHP. **

**_Dawn *sweatdrops*:_ May I remind you that your the one writing this... **

** _Ash:_ Heheh. I think she's too far gone to hear us anymore. Well, guess I'm doing the disclaimers this time. Hope you guys like it! It gets a little rough from here on out... **

* * *

_The Nightmare and Her Friend _

_Chapter one: "Curse these scars that never felt a wound."_

* * *

~Ash~

The air felt…. Off. It had so for the past week, but, for some reason now more so than ever. There had been sightings that Team Rocket escaped from jail, causing everyone to go out of their way and find shelter.

It seemed like when they first started out they were only getting warmed up, and now, that they were somehow able to get full control, they were playing for keeps. Instead of stealing defenseless Pokemon from trainers, they had forces that kept them forever, and never returned. Anyone who resists this known fact, gets killed as well. No one ever fathomed the reason for doing so, however. Anyone who got away in the nick of time was scarred for life.

A young man felt his rage boil. Swinging his arm, it made contact with the tree in front of him. He repeated this multiple times until it left a dent, and a memory flooded into his mind.

"_Let him go! Let him go, now!" _

_The man clouding his vision chuckled. "Hmm, I think you know the answer. Unless… we make a deal, and when I do, you join us." An irritating grin plastered on his cheeks. He nodded over at the two Team Rocket members, who held chains in their hands. "Tie him up." _

"_You've gotta be kidding!" he screeched, trying to punch the female in the gut. She reared back in frustration. _

"_No, no, no, no, no!" he decried, "Charizard… ugh…. Charizard, use Fly! Get out of here while you still can!" the Pokemon merely stood there however, its breathing uneven as the chains became even tighter around his neck. Its eyes flickered towards it's trainer for a mere second before slumping down to the ground in defeat. "CHARIZARD! MMMMPH!" _

_A purple haired boy muzzled him, and put a cloth around his eyes as well. "I'm… so sorry…" He muttered while the red haired lady hit him. The blue haired man next to them watched on, clutching his weapon, his hands shaking in unknown fright. _

_He almost felt his body lose all sense of reality until a terrifying roar pierced through the air, and the rescue party finally ran in. _

The man, now back in present time, continued to hit the tree. He tasted blood and sweat on his lips, even salty liquid streaming down his cheeks. The tree finally caved in its roots, falling over when he did. The crash echoed through the forest, though no one seemed to hear it.

"Pika? Pika, Pikachu!" a yellow mouse Pokemon scampered towards him, a worried look spread across his features. He stopped once, perking his ears. His master didn't seem to hear him at first, but a thundershock to the head snapped him out of his trance.

Ash chuckled weakly and stayed on the ground. "H-hey…. Hey buddy. Can ya believe it's been two years since we lost him?"

Pikachu let out a sigh, moving over to curl up in his arms. Ash continued to speak.

"I still remember that look in Charizard's eyes. He was… he was so determined to bite Giovanni's head off. Heh-heh. I would've paid to see that happen." His expression turned cold. "Damn him. When I find out why they took him, I'll kill him. I swear upon Arceus." He looked his partner in the eye. "Don't try to stop me when I do, okay? This… this is my fight. It always has been."

Pikachu only nodded and looked away, thinking of past memories. Times where Kanto wasn't like this. Or humans, for that matter.

It had started to rain then, causing Ash to get up from his sitting position. The yellow mouse climbed onto his shoulder. "Let's go back before May chews us out again—we've been here for longer than we said we would. Even with Drew to calm her down, she's still as crazy as she used to be. Remember the time when she slapped me with a frying pan for taking her make-up remover, Pikachu?" As the man laughed, his partner looked onward, his eyes piercing the road for any future dangers. One should never walk alone in the Viridian Forest nowadays.

~Dawn~

Reminiscing similar tragedies, a blue haired coordinator sobbed quietly to herself alone, just outside of Twinleaf Town. She'd lost a mother—two years ago from today. In a daring act to save her precious Pokemon, whom she'd known since birth, Team Rocket didn't show mercy. Unfortunately, the crooks had made their way into Sinnoh as well, claiming Hearthome City. There were others spaced out around the region, some more so than what was necessary.

They all seemed to be connected by something, and working to aim a goal—but what, Dawn wasn't so sure. It became personal when she saw her mother die before her very eyes. She vowed to find revenge, no matter how long it took.

Feeling remorse over the child, Professor Rowen took her in. she'd been living in his place for two years now, but the memory never left her. Kenny and Barry, who had heard of what happened, practically moved into the apartment, keeping her company and making sure she didn't wander off unnoticed. They tried to have her smile again, but the Dawn of Old was gone, and someone they were distant from took her place. She did complete her dream however, before any of the madness started. She had gotten her last and final ribbon by defeating a new competitor, a young girl from the Kanto region named Blue.

Suggesting that Dawn should continue her journey –since there was so much to do in Kanto now— she took it under consideration. However, when she heard the news that her mother…. Blue understood and left by herself.

Kanto rang a dim bell in her mind, come to think of it. Her good friend lived there—he'd taught her how fun it was to raise a Pokemon, how deeply the battles and the experience itself truly was. She owed so much to him—sure he irritated her sometimes, and he acted like a little kid (or more accurately, complete moron) but he always knew what to say to make her smile again, and had his moments where he totally floored everyone with his eccentric personality.

Wiping her eyes, she found herself grinning. A warm, fuzzy feeling made its way to her chest, causing her to place her hand up against her heart. "Oh, Ash," She whispered. Never did she realize how much she missed the boy. She wondered if he was doing alright. She suddenly felt guilty that she hadn't called him in a while—it was impossible with everything going on lately.

She sniffled, finding yet another thing to be sorry for. _I miss him so much right now… god, why do I do this to myself?! _she thought, putting her head in her hands. She let out a cry, alerting the Pokemon around her.

Barry's ear twitched slightly, looking at the forest. He, Kenny, and Rowen were just outside the Pokemon Lab, examining a badly hurt Budew they managed to save from Team Rocket

"Was that…" Rowen started, fixing his glasses.

"Mind if I take a break from this, Prof? I'm starting to get really worried…" Barry muttered, taking off his gloves.

The professor fixed his glasses. "I'm sure Dawn is capable of taking care of herself. But, as long as you two are back here by curfew, I have no problems."

Kenny smirked, knowing all too well of his friend's obvious crush on the coordinator. "Finally gonna tell her?" Grinning like an idiot, Barry just waved him off, running towards the forest.

Rowen sighed, going back to the injured Pokemon. "He's not going to make it out alive."

"Not a chance," Kenny agreed, shaking his head somberly. He may have fallen head-over-heels for the girl back when he was younger, but the fire had died when Zoey confessed her love, changing up the scenery. It didn't take long until Barry decided to have his chance, crushing all of the hopeful bachelors in his wake—he had persistence on his belt, and he wasn't going to stop even if time ceased to exist.

Meanwhile, Dawn had just begun to get up from her spot. She didn't notice the blonde haired boy sneak up behind her—he wrapped his arms around her waist, causing her to squeal. She elbowed him in the gut.

"B-Barry?!"

She clasped onto his arm before he fell onto the ground. "A little warning…. phew… when you're gonna hit me." He wheezed out, clutching his stomach with the other arm.

"Well you should know by now not to sneak up on me like that!" She sneered at him. When he didn't answer her, she put her hand to her mouth. "Oh gosh, are you okay?"

Nodding his head, stood up straight and fixed the dust off of his shirt. He grinned at her triumphantly. "Nothing can phase me for long. I was just coming by to check on you. The professor will probably cook dinner in a few minutes." Dawn didn't answer him though, and sighed. "You… were crying about her, weren't you." Barry states, and this time she did look up at him. She shook her head. "Who, then?"

"I was…. Thinking about… _him,_ actually."

Barry's face turned pale. He didn't respond to her for the next few seconds, as he repeated what she just said in his mind. Finally, he found his voice. "You were thinking about Paul? Paul, the guy who betrayed us and now works for Team Rocket? WHY IN ARCUS WOULD YOU BE THINKING ABOUT HIM?"

Dawn's eyes narrowed. "Barry, shut up."

"YOU WENT TO BED WITH HIM, DIDN'T YOU? IS THAT WHY YOU WEREN'T AT DINNER TWO WEEKS AGO?!"

"I SAID SHUT UP YOU IDIOT, GOD, CAN'T YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE?!" She snapped, grabbing onto his shirt collar and pulled him to the ground. She turned her attention towards the clearing, where three Grunts were searching the grounds with weapons in their hands. He made a mental note never to bring this particular conversation up again.

"Hey… it's those guys from before. The ones who tried to capture Budew." He gasped when the realization hit him.

"Yeah," Dawn agreed, slapping his blonde hair. He winced.

The tall woman wiped her forehead as she groaned. "Now how can three trained Rockets loose a Budew in the matter of days?"

"And that wasn't no ordinary Budew either—it was _shiny!"_ the blue haired man grouched.

"I don't really understand the point. Wouldn't any other Pokemon do? We'll eventually have to go back to the Headquarters in Kanto." The purple haired boy shrugged, placing his arms around his head.

"Paul," Barry hissed.

"Kanto," Dawn said in wonder, her eyes growing wide. _That's where I can find Ash, too! _

Both the man and woman stared at him in shock for a few moments before turning red, and pulled him off of the ground.

"Now listen here twerp, The Boss is playing for keeps this time around. He needs that shiny Budew for an extra boost and it's our job to find it—and we're not going to let your sour attitude ruin our mission!"

"Exactly," the man sneered, "So quit yapping and get searching!"

Barry felt sweat forming in the palms of his hands. He wearily turned to Dawn. "We gotta get out of here. Now." she sighed and nodded, reaching for support. He blushed wildly and gulped, pulling her off the ground as quietly as he could. Together, the two had made it out of the forest.

It was then that he finally decided to look at her, and notice the dark circles under her eyes. A frown formed on his lips. "So, uh… who were you really thinking about?"

"Considering you haven't stopped asking me," She bit her lip, forcing herself to not glare at him. "Ash. I miss him, okay? I miss him a lot." She looked on ahead to see Professor Rowen and Kenny. "_PROFESSOR!"_

Barry felt like he was going to feint. "W-what?!" He stuttered, staring as she walked on. He slapped his head when he realized he had already lost this battle.

The evolutionist glanced up from his work in surprise, putting his arms around a startled Dawn. He held her close and glanced over at the blonde haired boy. "Honey, what happened? What did that idiot do this time?"

"I swear it wasn't me! It's not my fault she's an emotional time bomb!" Barry screeched, holding his hands up in defense. Dawn glared.

"Wanna repeat what you just said a little louder?"

"G-gah…"

Kenny chuckled and placed a hand on Dawn's shoulder, looking into her perturbed eyes. Something big happened back there—he could sense it from the fear she had. "Dawn, what's really going on?"

She sniffed and broke apart from the Professor's embrace, trying to keep her composure. The three of them took Budew off of the table and walked inside, getting everything ready before they talked. Kenny, Barry, and Rowen stood in silence for a long time, hoping that the Top Coordinator would speak up. When she did, the tears wouldn't stop falling.

"I owe so much to all of you ever since you took me in because of what happened to mom. I've been an emotional wreck these past few months, and even when I cursed you out you stayed by me. But I can't just sit here and do nothing anymore—I have to get my revenge somehow! When Barry found me in the woods, we ran into a couple of Grunts who revealed where their headquarters were. It's all the way in Kanto, and I know just the man who could help me investigate."

Professor Rowen nodded, smiling at the spark in her eyes. "That's not the only reason you're going to see Ash, is it?"

Dawn closed her eyes, a blush forming its way to her cheeks. Kenny folded his arms and chuckled, while Barry only frowned, repeating their earlier conversation in his head. "I love him. I've just been so scared to realize it before when we were traveling, because I wasn't ready for that kind of journey yet. I don't know how it happened—maybe it was when we were all trapped in Team Galactic's jail, or when Ash finally defeated Volkner, or even way before that, but I did. And ever since Team Rocket took over I couldn't stop worrying about him back in Kanto. He… he could be dead by now…. but I won't let that fear get to me. All I've got to do is try; and even if he isn't there I'll still avenge my mother."

Kenny, Barry, and Professor Rowen all stared at her in shock, stunned by her words. She'd grown so much from the shy, unprepared girl she was when she first started her Pokemon travels. She closed her eyes and let out a sob as she wrapped the three men in a hug.

"So please_, please_ can't you let me go?"

They let out a sigh of discontent and stared at each other, each with different emotions written on their faces. Finally, Professor Rowen spoke up first.

"It's a dangerous world out there Dawn—Pokemon battling isn't all fun and games anymore. But, you have proven time and time again that you can take care of yourself, and I've never lost faith in you once. I'm so proud of you, and I always will be. Just please remember to call us when you get right to Kanto."

The blue haired girl gasped happily and nodded, turning to her friends next. Kenny gave her a thumbs up while Barry struggled to hide his emotions, his shoulders quivering. She giggled.

"Aw. C'mere, Barry."

He blubbered like a baby and reached out to her, engulfing her in a large hug. "Who was I kidding? I always knew you had the hots for that guy—when Kenny over there came home crying I didn't realize until then it was gonna be that tough!"

The Twinleaf native's eyebrow's perked up in defiance. "H-hey! I didn't cry. I was just… emotionally upset."

Dawn shook her head at them and pulled away from Barry, giving him a small peck on the cheek. "I know you don't want me to leave, but I've gotta. No need to worry, I'll be home before you know it."

"Y-you're leaving right now?"

She nodded determinedly and picked up her backpack that was coincidentally stashed on the couch next to them. "The quicker I catch a ferry to Kanto the sooner I can see that hot load of loveliness."

"Jeez, she's fallen harder than I thought…" Barry muttered, sweatdropping. Kenny did the same.

"Well, that's our Dawn. Always so determined for anything."

Professor Rowen chuckled at the three and wrapped his arms around Dawn's shoulder, walking her out the door. "We'll show you to the Port in town. From there you'll be on your own—we can only wish you the best of luck."

Dawn smiled gratefully at him as they walked away. With Kanto in her mind's eye already, nothing would dare stop her. She's come so far in her journey to know that it never ends, but she only hoped everything will be alright if it does.


	3. Chapter 3

_The Nightmare and Her Friend _

_Chapter two: Welcome to Kanto… or what's left of it. _

Dawn stared at the murky water below her, thoughts focusing on how she would greet the young Pokemon Master. Or where she would even begin to look. She knew he lived in Pallet, but he could've moved away from there. Perhaps there was someone around here that knew… maybe the captain?

Her Piplup eyed her for a few moments before chirping, rubbing her shoulder with his beak. She giggled at him and scratched his head. "I'm fine, buddy, just a little worried, is all."

He frowned, causing her to sigh.

"Okay, I'm not. I have a really bad feeling about all this… like there's something else going on under our noses."

The tiny penguin had continued to chirp, giving her a small smile of encouragement. "I can always count on you to cheer me up, Piplup. Thanks." But once he had her in his grasp, she turned away again, her face covered by her hair. She had chosen a different style of clothing to wear for this trip; she had dark blue jeans, along with a white top and pink vest. She didn't wear a hat this time, and decided to keep her hair in a ponytail—ever since her mother passed, there were much more important things to worry about, and fussing over her hair wasn't one of them.

Piplup let out a sigh of annoyance and folded its wings, purposely looking away from her now.

The captain of the ship chucked at the two, clearing his throat to get their attention. "In a few minutes we'll be nearing Kanto's port. I'd suggest going to the front of the ship to get ready."

Piplup nudged Dawn's shoulder to get her attention, to which she waved him off with a glare. She grumbled out an angry, "I heard him, Piplup." And stalked off.

He sighed again, wishing he could at least see a genuine smile grace his owner's lips. But he knew that would be a tough request… especially given the circumstances.

_The tiny penguin pokemon blinked rapidly a few times to clear his vision, trying to make sense of the three people standing at their doorway. He was thrown into the cupboard of the kitchen sink when they knocked onto the door. _

"_We heard that the Top Coordinator has some pretty decent pokemon here. Would you care to tell us where they are?" The woman cackled. _

_Johanna clenched her fists. "I'm not giving you anyone, even if they were here! Now get out of my house before I throw you out!" _

_Paul rolled his eyes. "That's not a good answer. We have weapons in our hands, if you hadn't noticed." _

_She bit her lip as Dawn wearily opened the door from her room, rubbing her sleepy eyes. She held Umbreon and Glameow in her hands. "Mom, what's going—PAUL? Team Rocket? What the hell!" _

_Johanna spun around to shush her, waving her hands in front of her face. "Dawn, get out of here! Quick, there's an escape ladder down the—!" Her words were cut off, however, when a net flew out of the dangerous weapon, and surrounded both Pokemon. Startled, the young Top Coordinator lost her footing, falling head first down the stairs. She clutched onto her old friends best she could, but they were already in the dirty hands of the Team. Johanna, seeing red, clenched her fist and punched the red haired lady in the stomach. She let out a cry and grabbed the mother's collar, pointing a smaller weapon in her face. _

"_One more move and I will kill you." _

_Dawn's eyes grew wide as she struggled to focus. "Mom, mom, no! They're not worth it!" _

"_Not after I do this." With one sweep of her leg, she kicked Paul in his balls, causing him to fall to the ground. The man next to him grabbed a hold of his shoulder and the Pokemon, while the woman fired her weapon. Dawn didn't even have the time to close her eyes before her mother dropped to the ground, and Team Rocket disappeared underneath a puff of smoke. _

Piplup shook his head to stop the memory from going any further. He noticed he was perched on top of Dawn's shoulder now, who was gazing over at Kanto. Her eyes were wide with fear, her hands clutched into fists.

"I know I wanted to see Ash again… but not under these circumstances." She seethed, tears forming in her eyes. The entire place was beat up. Houses stood unsteadily on their barricades, like they'd topple over at any second. Strange rat type Pokemon prowled the streets, hissing at any brave soul who walked by. And the gym. She couldn't take her eyes away from it. It was burnt with ashes; the worn out shingles giving up and falling to the ground beneath them. Its' solid gold trim was tainted a dull, murky color, while the rest of the building was covered in black smoke. There were areas where the city looked like it hurt the most, but sometimes you couldn't really tell.

_If this is what one city looked like, then… _Dawn didn't want to finish her train of thought.

"Pip… piplup…" He sighed, shaking his head at the scene.

The captain waved them over, pointing to Viridian City's port. "Good luck to you," He murmured, "The road to Pallet Town is harsh. If our world wasn't like this, I would say to stay here and rest for a few nights, but…" He bit his lip and Dawn could've sworn he growled.

She shook her head. "No need to worry. I'll be fine! Thank you, captain." She says, flashing him a weak smile. She then paused for a few moments. "Say, would you happen to know where Ash Ketchum is, by any chance?"

He frowned, folding his arms. "The last time I saw that boy was when he won the Kanto League five years ago. Since then he's been living with his mother, but rumor has it since his Charizard was killed, he spends most of his days by the forest. Some people even think it's just a ghost."

"A… a ghost?" she asked wearily, sharing a look with Piplup.

The captain saw the look on her face put his hand on her shoulder. "It's just what I heard, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to keep my mind off the fact that my daughter Blue hasn't answered my call in a few days. But with my post, I can't really do anything to reach out to her. If you see her, can you do me a big favor and let her know that her father is worried?"

Dawn nodded. "Of course I will. I versed against her in the Contest—she's a really sweet girl. Once I find her I'll make sure she calls you. I hope things will be fine on your trip home, captain."

He seemed to relax a bit at that. "Thank you. And I hope things will be alright for you, as well."

She smiled and began to walk towards the port. _"I'll be fine."_ Though, despite her confidence, the captain still saw fear in her eyes, and heard her mutter something unintelligent under her breath. He sighed and made sure that she was out of the town safely before turning the boat around, and looked up at the sky.

"Arceus, wherever you are, help her."

0o0o0o0o

Ash kicked rocks away from his feet as he walked on by, smiling as he saw the small hut in the distance. Ever since Team Rocket took over, his hometown became a war zone. Those who were able to flee barely made it to the outskirts of town, finding recluse in the valley. In over a few years, only a small settlement was created there—people never came back when they tried to save their loved ones.

"Maybe one day," He muttered to himself, looking towards the desolate town. "One day we'll go back. Right, Pikachu?" The yellow mouse Pokemon smiled and nodded his head.

He grinned and fixed his hat, picking up his speed so he can beat the rain. Thunder boomed overhead, causing Pikachu to whimper and poke Ash's hat. The man didn't answer him though, and kept on running.

"Ash!" A sharp cry alerted their ears, near the direction of the small house. May waved her hand quickly. "Hurry up, before the storm catches you!"

"Heya May," He snickered, and wrapped his arms around her. She huffed and pushed him off.

"Now where the hell were you? It's been over two days! You know how dangerous it is to be wandering around like that!"

Ash rolled his eyes and rubbed the lightly-trimmed beard he was starting to grow. "Relax, May. I was careful. I just… needed sometime to myself."

May sighed, shutting the door behind them as they walked into the house. "You were trying to search for _them,_ weren't you?"

His shoulders tensed up as Pikachu hopped off his shoulder, crawling onto the couch in the small living room. Whenever Ash got the chance, he would escape from the tiny village for a few days, and look around in the Viridian Forest. From time to time, he would even get as far as Viridian City unnoticed, but hunger was calling him back home. May never liked it when he left (even sometimes Drew went with him as well, however her boyfriend had his own reasons) and she tried to chastise him every time, even though her words seemed to go in one ear and out the other.

A pained look spread across his face. "You know the reason why I have to keep coming back."

She sniffed, "I-I know, but…. They just keep on getting stronger each and every time I see them on the news! I lost my family to them…. Max is missing… I just can't risk losing another person I care about! Not when I'm having a baby!"

Might be a surprise to some, but yes, the Hoenn native was pregnant—her and Drew had begun a rather active relationship since the incident occurred. Although, the latter didn't know a thing about this.

"Say it, May. Say their name. Team Rocket."

She clenched her fists. "You c-c-can't make me!"

Ash bit his lip and slammed her against the wall, holding onto her shoulders. "You're stronger than this, damnit! Come on! Don't be a whimp!" Fists collided with a nose and the Pokemon Master fell onto the found, glaring angrily at Drew. He gave him the finger.

"Touch my girlfriend one more time and we'll see who the real whimp is. You're lucky we took you in after the Invasion, Ketchum. Otherwise I would've let you fend for yourself outside."

"_Drew!"_ May hissed, shock written across her face.

Ash clenched his fists and debated on hitting his old friend again, but decided against it. "I'm going for a walk." He grunted, and with a nod from Pikachu, took off.

0o0o0o0o

There was another flash of light, and everything became visible again. Absol groaned as she struggled to lift her right paw, however it was proven impossible.

Voices soon etched into her mind.

"…think she's waking up!"

"Whew, thank Arceus, she nearly scared me for a second!"

"I've never seen anything like her before…"

The nightmare Pokemon opened her eyes to see a Growlithe, and Eevee, and a Pidgey hovering over her. They each had concerned looks on their faces, though they breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that she was able to get up.

"Where… what…"

_Where did Celebi send me? Am I… am I in the future? And if I was, where would the two humans be? Where would I even begin to look? _

She glanced at each Pokemon carefully, sensing nothing off about them. _Would they know?  
_

Growlithe puffed out his chest, "It's thanks ta me you're alright. I carried you all the way out here! A kiss of gratitude would be the only way to calm my aching heart!"

The Pidgey groaned and slapped her wing. "Would you cut it out, you idiot? There's other important things at stake here! Besides, she's way outta your league!"

The Eevee nodded. "Yeah! Ever since Team Rocket took over, everyone's lives are at stake! Can't you go for two minutes without flirting with anyone?"

_In that case… I'm definitely in the future then. But… how far? _

She looked at her surroundings now. She was in a clearing, surrounded by fallen trees and debree from the city nearby. The Pokemon that saved her looked as if they've taken their fair share of fights. She sighed and shook her head, looking down the dirt road. _I can't stay here for long. I must leave now. _

Giving a nod of thanks towards the three, she galloped off in the other direction.

"W-wait! Don't go; you'll never last a day on your own!"

The Pidgey folded her wings. "Save it. She's not worth our worries, anyway."

Eevee drooped his ears, wondering when did his friend ever think so gruesome before. Ever since those terrible humans took over, everyone he knew changed. He just wasn't so sure if it was for better or for worse…

* * *

**I honesty wasn't planing on writing May pregnant... it just sorta came to be. Hey, don't look at me like that, it's an AU, anything can happen! ;p **


End file.
